Our Work at Colonel J Fred Scott – 2016-17
At Colonel J Fred Scott, we have formed
three committees with which to direct our work this year. All three committees have the same ultimate
goal which is to help student reach their academic potential. These committees were formed based on our own
data (SIRS report card, Tell Them From Me Surveys, School Wide Reading Profile,
Student Learner Assessments and Provincial Achievement Tests to name a
few).
1.
Comprehensive School Health: This committee
will be addressing the needs of our students in the area of Comprehensive
School Health (CSH). CSH consists of
physical activity nutrition, mental health and personal interactions with
others and research is clear that these aspects of health contribute to one’s
ability to learn (Basch, 2011; Florence, Asbridge, Veugelers, 2008; MacLellan
& Taylor, 2008; Murray, Low, Hollis, Cross & Davis, 2007; Rasberry et
al., 2011; Wang, & Veugelers, 2008).
Some of our goals this year to support CSH at Colonel J Fred Scott are:
·
An addition of a 1.0 physical
education specialist to champion school wide initiatives and pursue additional
opportunities for students to support physical health. This addition will free teachers during their
prep 2-3 times a week to work with up to four students on targeted
interventions in reading.
·
An addition of a 1.0 diversity
teacher (including resource) who will be the champion for mental health
initiatives in the classroom.
·
A 1.0 teacher who will champion
the inquiry work but will also work with grade groups throughout the year to
support specific ELL learners in reading and offer support to our students with
no English skills (Level 1).
2.
Environmental Literacy: This committee
supports the pasts work around our naturalization area but we are expanding
this to embrace all aspects of making our learning environment (inside and
outside positive). We will work to:
· Better understand
both the physical environment around us and those that live in it
· Support student in
becoming critical thinkers, problem-solvers and to interpret and synthesize information
around them
· Motivate and empower
to understand that what people do as individuals and groups can make a
difference
· Support students in
developing empathy, problem-solving skills, citizenship, and action.
Research shows a link to outdoor education
and increased achievement (Seer, 2000; Eaton, 2000). Some important aspects to our work this year
will involve increase time spent in outdoor education. This could be in the form of science field
studies, community walks linked to social studies, patterning linked to
mathematics etc. We also know how
important ‘play’ is to the development of a child’s emotional, physical and
cognitive skills and creative development (Shoonkoff, & Phillips, 2000; Frost,
1998; Tamis-LeMonda, Shannon, Cabrera, Lamb, 2004). This committee will be champions for these
aspects through:
·
Our involvement with the Right
to Play organization (this will involve special assemblies and a culminating
play day).
·
Giving students increased
opportunities to play in different ways at recess
·
Promoting positive interactions
through simple conflict resolution models
·
Promoting the outdoors as a
learning space
·
Professional Learning for staff
around topics of play, outdoor learning
and interactions within our environment
3. Learning
Commons: This committee will champion the inquiry work which includes the
support of technology, our work around design thinking, the development of our
Learning Commons as an extension of the classroom and the development of our
maker spaces. Research tell us that
inquiry approaches yields higher
achievement and longer lasting conceptual understanding (Bradford, Brown, &
Cocking, 2000; Barron & Darling-Hammond, 2008; Sawyer, 2006). Some of the
work around this committee will focus on:
·
Our Education Matters “Maker
Grant” of $15 000.00 which will be spent by December of 2016. Our committee is currently in the process of
spending this money based on the research we undertook last spring. It may include the purchase of additional
ipads, robotics kits, maker supplies, additional maker stations, and a possible
inquiry lab.
·
Development of digital
citizenship at CJFS
·
Use of Mobile Technology as a
learning support
·
Professional Learning for staff
around design thinking and the learning commons philosophy
In my Principal’s Blog this year, I will be
making reference to the work taking place in all three committees in order to
best serve and meet the needs of our students.
We look forward to seeing the development and growth in our students
this year!
Ms. Paull
